Resurrection
by ladyhaha
Summary: Five years ago Will and the girls saw the last portal swallow Caleb and the heart become lifeless. Now the girls minus Will have all gone to college and forgotten about their Guardian days. But Will, still in Heatherfield, has found a portal...and Caleb.
1. Reappearing

**Resurrection**

Tuesday. A dreary day for Will Vandom to be walking alone. The freshly showered ground made her shoes squeak and the humidity had already flattened her hair. As she continued her lonely walk a light seemed to emerge from nowhere; it was a light she recognized immediately.

The glow of the portal's light was enough to stop Will dead in her tracks. Its familiarity captured her breath, crippling her and making it impossible to move. It had been so long since she had actually seen one she pinched herself to make sure it wasn't a dream. Nope, she thought, not a dream.

It had been years since she could remember seeing a portal, and yet here one was, right in front of her very own astonished eyes. Its radiating light reminded Will of the last portal she had seen.

It was five years ago when the then fourteen-year-old guardian last saw a portal. Then a portal was no big deal; she saw them daily. Seeing, and closing, them became routine to her and her fellow guardians. If only she had known the portal they all had seen that day would be the last.

It had started out a normal day. School had just ended and the girls, with Caleb following close behind, headed to the Silver Dragon, another daily routine to the girls. She remembered everything from that day; the after school snack they ate, their discussion about the algebra test, all the way up to them discovering the portal. The last portal.

* * *

_They thought it was just a portal; a normal, everyday portal. Just as Will pulled out the Heart of Kandrakar ,like she had done do many times before, a scaly blue bird covered in slime flew from the opening in front of her. This too was nothing new. Things had flown from the portals before and the guardians had also made sure that was as far as anything had gotten; except for what flew out of their first portal: Caleb._

_As Will and the girls transformed Caleb had already gotten a head start on the creature, jumping on its back and tugging at its neck. Irma threw a wave of water the creatures way, making it crash to the ground. Taranee followed in foot, sending a blazing fire ball the bird's way. _

_The bird was out for the count it looked like and the only step left was to send it back to where it came from. _

_"I'll take care of it from here," Will said, approaching the unconscious creature._

_"No," Caleb protested, "I'll get it Will. After all, I'm already covered in slime," he said pointing out the slime that covered his clothes._

_"I would never want to come between you and your slime," she laughed as he proceeded to pick the blue monster up and drag it to the portal. The girls watched as he stopped at the portal and threw the bird in. It wasn't as easy as he's thought it'd be._

_The bird seemed to instantaneously regain consciousness and clasped onto Caleb's shirt, sending them both tumbling into the portal. The girls, stunned by the bird's sudden consciousness, began to approach the portal on a mission to retrieve Caleb. But before they got to it, the heart slipped away from Will and began floating in the air before the portal. Will ran to get it back when the portal began to close._

_"What is it doing!?" Hay Lin shouted._

_"Caleb's in there!" Cornelia yelled in despair, "We have to get him!" _

_All Will could do was watch as the heart continued to close to the portal. "I…I…I don't know what it's doing. I'm not controlling it; I can't control it."_

_The girls just watched helpless as the heart fully closed the portal and fell to the ground lifeless._

_"Caleb!" Cornelia cried and ran to the spot where the portal had just closed. All Will could do was pick up the heart, examining it. It had never done this before. It was like it had had a life of its own. But now it wasn't even glowing its normal pink color. It was dead, exanimate. _

_"Will!" Cornelia screamed after sobbing over Caleb and the loss of the portal, "Why did you close the portal? You knew Caleb was in there! Did you _want_ him to get eaten by that scaly slimy thing?"_

_"Cornelia, cool your jets. There's no need for accusations right now," Irma piped in._

_"Yeah it was probably just an accident," Taranee added._

_"And besides," Hay Lin said optimistically, "Caleb's a rebel leader. I think it'll take a little bit more than an oversized slime bird to harm him."_

_"She has a point," Taranee said, "he'll just find another portal and come back then."_

_"Ok," Cornelia calmed down, "but that still doesn't explain why Will closed the portal on him." Everyone looked at Will waiting for a reply. But Will was so enchanted by the heart she didn't even notice their stares._

_"Well?" Cornelia said finally awaiting an answer._

_"You guys," Will began softly, "I didn't do it. The heart it just…it got away from me. It closed the portal on its own; I had nothing to do with it. I knew we had to go get Caleb. Cornelia, you know I wouldn't trap him in there with that thing on purpose. I swear I didn't do it."_

_"We believe you," Hay Lin said._

_"But now we have to figure out what's going on with the heart. Had it ever done anything like that on its own?" Taranee asked._

_"No; well not that I can remember. It's always done whatever I've made it do," Will replied._

_"Well then I guess it's best to ask Grandma," Hay Lin concluded._

_"Sounds like a good idea," Irma agreed and the girls headed back for the restaurant.

* * *

_

Seeing Yan Lin, however, did not solve the problem. She too was dumbfounded by the heart's act and, now, sudden exanimate behavior. All the girls could do was just wait for another portal to open.

But no portal opened. They kept waiting; days turned into weeks and weeks turned into months, months to a year and soon the girls just gave up hope. There was no explanation to why there were no more portals. They just stopped appearing. The girls began researching other towns around Heatherfield trying to find out if any strange occurrences had been taking place. All they found was nothing out of the ordinary.

After six months of waiting Cornelia had already quit talking to Will. She still blamed her for the incident and when no portals ever appeared, she wouldn't have anything to do with her. This, of course, drove a rift between the girls. There was no more need for the guardians to stay together; they had nothing to protect and their powers had disappeared with the portals and lifelessness of the heart. It was almost as if none of it had ever existed at all.

There were times when Will even thought that maybe it was just an imaginary game the girls had invented for fun; everything was just made up. They weren't really superheroes, Guardians of the Veil never really existed, and neither did Caleb, Blunk, Phobos, Cedric, or Meridian. The only proof they'd ever had of its existence was now void and lifeless nestled in Will's pocket.

The girls went all through high school not being friends. After the incident they just began drifting so far apart that their friendship was unable to be saved. They didn't really know how to act around each other; none of them were really sure if anything they experienced together had even really happened. After high school Taranee, Hay Lin, Cornelia, and Irma went to college and pursued their future as if nothing had happened just five years ago. Will, on the other hand, couldn't move on.

She felt trapped in Heatherfield, drawn to something and she felt she still had a responsibility to the town. She also kept the heart with her at all times; just in case. Every time she thought about leaving it at home she changed her mind and brought it along. But she had yet to see another portal; until now.

That was what amazed her. The portals had been gone for five years so why was this one here now? After a long, drawn out pause to get over her initial shock she reached in her pocket and pulled out the heart to transform. The pink light glared from the heart as she pulled it out; the first sign of life from the heart in five years.

When she pulled it out and transformed a sense of familiarity came over her. She felt refreshed and revitalized. She thought about just closing the portal, but then what if another one never came back? The girls had waited for one to open to save Caleb and she couldn't let him down now, she had waited too long. She thought for just a second about whether or not this was a dream before she braced herself to jump. Just as she readied herself for the dive into Meridian she was struck by something coming out.

It knocked her down flat on her back. When she was able to get back on her feet to see what had hit her she was shocked at what she saw for the second time that day.

"Caleb?!"

* * *

A/N: I could say I know exactly what I'm doing with this story...but then I would be lying. I have no idea where this is headed I'm just writing whatever comes to me. I would appreciate reviews from you guys though. I'm really tired of listening to me critiquing myself. 


	2. No Longer Superheros

**Resurrection**

_Last time I forgot...whoops..._

Disclaimer: I don't own W.I.T.C.H and at the direction it's headed now, I'm overjoyed.

* * *

She couldn't believe her eyes. The man who lunged from the portal _had_ to be him. His dark hair and piercing green eyes were unmistakable. He looked older and more mature but not seeing him in five years more than made up for the difference. The boy from her childhood had grown into a man she never thought she'd see. 

"Who are you?" he asked in a low voice that was new to her.

"You mean you don't remember me?" Will asked, shocked by the fact he had no clue to her identity, "and to think when we first met _I_ was the celebrity and _you_ were just a guy in the bottom of a hole," she smirked to herself, wondering if it was still too soon to be making jokes.

"Will?" his eyes had lost the harshness they had originally cast and was replaced with sheer relief and a tinge of uncertainty; she was just overjoyed that they seemed to bear no anger or resentment.

She nodded an answer to his dubious question. He proceeded to touch her face, softly, as if to make sure she was real. The gesture caught Will by surprise but she refused to show it. After realizing it was the guardian he had once known, a smile crept into the corners of his mouth. "Will!" he gasp with delight before tugging her into a tight hug. Will in return clung to him for dear life, taking her turn to make sure he didn't fade away.

He ended the embrace and continued to study her. She blushed as she felt his eyes scanning her from top to bottom. "Will, you look…different," he managed to get out despite the awkwardness.

Now her face officially resembled that of a fire hydrant and she had to sigh and giggle a bit to ease her own embarrassment which was bubbling up around her insides. "I guess you could say that," she said eyeing the ground.

"Yeah," he said nervously. "Hey Will," as if the puppet strings attached to her neck were pulled, she jerked her head up and looked him in the eye, "it's been a long time, huh?"

Her eyes got softer and her heart sank. She knew this was coming but she was as unprepared to answer it as ever. Trying to be the strong leader he had known her to be she stood up straight but answered with a sympathetic tone, "Yes, Caleb, it has."

He simply nodded. They both knew he had already known it to be truth before he even asked the question. After a slight pause something else seemed to click in his head as his face changed. Will, a bit frightened at what it might be, braced herself for whatever thought had crossed Caleb's mind. He began to, almost frantically, look around them. He was beginning to worry her. "Caleb, what's wrong?"

"Where are the others?"

Another hard question. What was she supposed to say? She bit her lower lip in distress and nervously eyed him. "They're not here."

He just stared at her blankly, like he didn't understand. She wanted to just run away and escape more questions that he would undoubtedly ask her. "Where…?"

"They're gone. They've grown up, moved on. They're building their lives now."

"What about their duties as guardians? Have they just-?"

"Just what?" Will asked, impatiently preparing herself for the battle she had foreseen even before Caleb started asking questions. Caleb was a loyal and determined young man; he always had been. His sense of duty was overwhelming and she knew exactly what he would think of the guardians' lack thereof.

"Given up?" as he spoke the words it was obvious he couldn't believe them. He couldn't grasp the thought that these girls had just so easily forfeited their obligations.

Will looked at him, mentally searching for the words to say to him. When none came she jumped in blindly, hoping when she came up for air everything would be okay.

"What did you expect us to do, Caleb? What? Do you know how long we waited for another portal? For you? Five years. Five years Caleb! Do you realize how long that is? We were all just so confused. It wasn't like we just 'gave up'; we waited for you, for a portal, for a sign, for anything! When nothing came, we all became uncertain about everything. We didn't even know if any of it was real. The fear that it had all been our imaginations drove us apart. What were we supposed to think? What were we supposed to do? What _do _you do when one day you're a superhero and the next day you're not?"

Caleb watched her unflinching. She shuddered at his unwavering gaze until it became too much to handle, forcing her to look to the ground. It was obviously not what he wanted to hear. The fact that he was too flabbergasted to speak shown clearly through his masculine features. But past that Will saw something much worse: hurt, vulnerability, disappointment.

Finally, gathering his words carefully he quietly looked her icily in the eye. "You don't give up."

His words echoed through the cold night and landed right on her. Her eyes traveled from the ground to his callous glare and back again. This pacing of her eyes finally ended and ultimately landed back at her feet. "I'm sorry I'm not as strong as you thought."

"Yeah, me too," he replied coldly. Her eyes jerked up, unsure if she heard him correctly. Caleb had never been this frigid. She dared herself to search his eyes; her startled mahoganies to his angry emeralds. She became entranced by his anger and found herself unable to move or even breathe. It only lasted a second but it felt like an eternity to her. He pulled his eyes away first and steadily turned around and walked off in the opposite direction.

Unsure of what to do and confused to tears, Will ran to the only place she knew she would feel safe.

* * *

A/N: Okay now I feel a little more comfortable with this storyline. I have a general direction and outline. It took me a while to figure out odds and ends, and I'm sure there'll be plenty more, but I promise the story isn't dead. It was just...resting. But hopefully not anymore. I'm expecting regular updates if everything goes according to plan...lets hope. 

I know many of you think this is my first fic but it's not. It's my first one for a while, which is a difference. Many screennames ago...well you get the picture. This is my first W.I.T.C.H fic but I've read so many I already feel at home. And yes, this is of course WillxCaleb. Like I would write anything else...as if.

I want to end (I know, finally, lol) by thanking everyone who has reviewed so far. Thanks so much you guys, I really appreciate it! This story is not gone, I promise! And a special thanks to Seniya who has encouraged me and written such wonderful fics that make me want to get my lazy butt in gear and finish this fic! Thank you!

Please, R & R!

Drew


	3. Can't Give Up

**Resurrection**

Disclaimer: I don't own it.

* * *

With nowhere to go and nowhere to be, Caleb found himself wondering the ghostly familiar town he had once called home. Though he had only lived there a short time, he spent the most memorable time of his life right here; a place he never thought he'd see again.

It was hard for him to believe so much time had passed. Every corner held a memory. Walking along the now empty streets he felt like a phantom reliving a past he was unsure was really his. He felt almost like an intruder who was interrupting someone else's life.

It was obvious he had gone through changes; the last five years had been rough. Before the 'incident' there was always an escape for him. If things got too rough, Caleb could always wait for a portal to transport him to a temporary haven. But when the portals quit appearing he had to bear living through the excruciating consequences of never ending war. Since Elyon was found, things had only gotten worse; without the guardians Meridian had no real defense against the evils that be. A tinge of guilt pierced his chest thinking about what they were going through now that he too was gone. Unable to bear the thought any longer Caleb mentally changed the subject.

He decided to check the time; 10:19. It was late night and Caleb had nowhere to go. And he was exhausted; and alone. Unsure of what else to do he just kept walking. When his feet finally stilled, he found himself in front of the building Will had lived last he remembered. She still lived with her mother then and, although he was sure she didn't reside there now, he couldn't stop his now determined feet from marching to her door. Before he could even really grasp what he was doing he had already knocked on the door and was standing face to face with Will.

"Caleb," she said both annoyed and shocked that he had found her.

"I had nowhere else to go," he replied, exhausted. The day had taken a huge toll on his energy both physically and mentally.

"How did you find me?" her curiosity seeped through her question. After their fight she had ran to her mother's. Susan, however, was gone for the week leaving Will alone to her apartment. After graduation Will had moved in another apartment on the other side of town with a friend from school. Rachel, her roommate, was a very sweet girl but was oblivious when it came to the feelings of others. She was very much self-revolved; a person had to take her in strides. Tonight, however, Will couldn't take it and was glad to have a place where she could be alone.

"This was where you lived before…" he trailed off, unsure of what to call what happened.

Instantly Will felt embarrassed. Of course this would be the first place he looked; he never knew she moved out. "Oh, yeah," she said quietly.

She looked into his eyes searching for the anger they had held earlier that day; she didn't see it. After a moment of staring into each others eyes Caleb broke the silence.

"About that place to stay…?"

"Oh, I guess you can stay. Unless, that is, you're going lay a guilt trip on me again," her eyes narrowed to meet his and he could tell she was still angry at him about before. He didn't mean to snap at her or make her mad; if anything he was just hurt. The fact that they could move on and forget about him aggrieved him. But nonetheless, he never meant to upset Will.

"I'm sorry," he replied softening the tone in his voice to reflect his true apology, "I guess I was-"

Will raised her hand and stopped him mid-sentence. "You don't have to explain yourself. The heartfelt apology was enough to earn you a place to stay. And you must be wiped out anyway. It's been a long day, get some rest before you pass out."

With that, she removed herself from the doorway providing him entrance to the room. Though he never saw much of it when he lived here it still looked the same.

"You can sleep in my mother's room," Will said leading the way, "Just let me change the sheets."

While Will proceeded in her task Caleb examined the room. It was definitely a woman's room. Even the scent of the room reeked of female. Not that he minded; the aroma of a woman had always entranced him. His mind shifted back to Will. "So…do you still live here?"

"Uh, no," she replied.

"Oh…"

"I live in an apartment across town," she was running from side to side hurriedly trying to apply the sheets. Seeing her trouble Caleb strolled to one side to help.

"Then why are you here?"

"To get away from my roommate."

"You live with someone you want to get away from? That doesn't make sense."

Will smiled at the simplicity of Caleb. In his world everything either made sense or it didn't. Although it was frustrating at times, this characteristic personified how innocent at heart he was. Instead of a flaw Will saw it as one of the many high-quality features which made up the simple-minded yet complex person of Caleb.

"Oh you know us Earth people," she smiled, "you wouldn't understand I guess."

She knew he hated the way Earth people acted. He could never understand why they did things the way they did and it irritated him. "You people are very illogical," he concluded as they finished making the bed. Will sat down at the edge of the bed and patted the spot next to her as an invitation for him to sit next to her. He assented and gently took a seat.

The two were silent for a while before Will spoke up. "Caleb," he glimpsed at her, "I'm really glad you're back."

Her words surprised him. Even after he had been rude and picked a fight with her she was still happy he had come back. "I am too," he replied finally. At his words she gently laid her head on his shoulder and once again succumb to the silence; not because they had to, but because they're were no words left to say. All the two could feel was the breathing of one another and that was enough.

After another long silence Will lifted her head and looked at Caleb. "You've had a long day. I think it's time you get some rest," she smiled and got up from the bed. He nodded in agreement and followed her to the door. She was about to leave when she turned to him once more, a sincere look worry on her face. "Do you wanna talk about it?"

"Yes," her eyes became hopeful, "But not tonight." She nodded, telling him she understood, and left, closing the door behind her.

Before climbing into bed he took a deep breath. Clean air; pure and not filled with the pungent smell of hatred and war. He had to go back. He couldn't leave his people; they needed him. He was the only one they had to fight for them. And he would. He would protect them with his life. But he knew he couldn't do it alone. He needed the guardians. Tomorrow; tomorrow he would begin putting them back together. They had a job to do and he would be damned if he let them forget that.

* * *

The next morning he awoke to the faint smell of…bacon? Following the smells he came to the kitchen and found Will cooking.

"Hey," she smiled. She was already dressed and ready and almost finished making breakfast. What time was it?

"I thought you might be hungry."

He nodded. "What time is it?"

"Oh I don't know. Around noon I guess."

"Noon?!" he couldn't believe it. How had he slept that late? Why did she let him?

"Calm down; you were worn out. You deserved as much sleep as you could get. And besides, I made you bacon," she smiled, shoving a plate in his face. It was true; if he had a weakness it was bacon.

He sat at the table and began to eat, Will watching him intently. "Aren't you going to eat?" he finally asked, a bit frustrated.

"Already did," she answered plainly.

A little more frustrated, he continued his meal. When he finished she gestured him to come with her and sit on the couch. He did so and when they finally got settled she looked him directly in the eye. He felt almost as if she pierced his soul with her glare. "Tell me about it," she said softly.

He exhaled and stared at her a while before nodding. "There's not really a lot to tell about. Things had been better even when Phobos was king. Without you guardians the rebels and I didn't stand a chance. The war was never ceasing. Not only was Phobos after us but so was every other evil in Meridian. In order to protect Elyon we even had to take her away from the throne and keep her hidden. There wasn't even a Meridian to rule anyway. Everything was destroyed. It sometimes even felt like we had nothing to fight for. But the worse part was…" he struggled, knowing his words would be hard for her to take, "I had a false sense of safety; I knew that you guardians would find a way back and then everything would be fine. But after years of fighting and no sign that you would ever come back I felt doomed. I knew we were all gonna die."

Will listened carefully but when he said that she felt her heart sink and knot in her stomach. No wonder he was so angry before. But he wasn't really angry; he was hurt. She couldn't imagine what he felt when he was in Meridian and she didn't want to.

After giving her time to take it in, he continued. "When I saw that portal I didn't even have time to think. I just jumped. I can't even explain how I felt when I saw you; or how I felt when you told me you had given up. But, Will, I can't give up on them. They're my people and they're counting on me. I can't let them down. But I know I can't defend them by myself," he searched Will's eyes to see if she understood what he meant. "I need you guys, Will. I need the guardians."

She nodded fiercely. "Okay, Caleb. I think it's time to round up the girls." She didn't know how she was gonna do it, but she knew she had to. Not just for Meridian, but for Caleb. He had had so much faith in them and she couldn't let him down twice.

* * *

A/N: Okay, so this chapter is a bit longer. And hey, I even updated a day before I had originally planned. Brownie points for me. This is still setting up the plot so I know these chapters are a bit boring but I promise things are gonna start picking up. If your curious about updates check my profile and its should say when I expect the next updates to be coming.

I really appreciate all the reviews. You guys are awesome. Just keep leavin' the love kids!

Drew


	4. Fear of Rejection

**Resurrection**

Disclaimer: Not my property

* * *

Will flipped through the phonebook with a heavy mind. Her mind flooded with worry as she skimmed the thin pages. She couldn't imagine what the girls would think when she and Caleb showed up on their doorsteps begging for help; their once fearless leaders pleading for their assistance. And how would the girls react to Caleb being back? Will massaged her temple. This was all too much for her to take.

She decided she needed a rest from the endless search of her former closest friends. There were still so many questions left unanswered. Like why the heart acted so strange in the first place or why the portal showed up when it did. She knew she would never get answers until she got the girls back together. So, picking up the phonebook, she began scanning the pages again. She needed answers and she'd do anything to get them.

* * *

"Caleb?" Will peeked into her mother's room to find Caleb deep in thought on her mother's bed. He peered at her at the sound of his name. "I found them; all of them. I've got their addresses written down he-"

"Great," he cut her off and hopped off the bed, "lets go." With that he grabbed her hand and drug her out of the apartment.

When they reached the sidewalk Caleb turned to Will for direction. "It turns out Hay Lin is just a town over and Taranee is a town over from that. Irma lives a little further south but it's just a short drive from here. Cornelia, on the other hand," she sensed Caleb twitch at the sound of his former love's name, "is in New York."

Caleb seemed to stare into nothingness and it was obvious that the thought of Cornelia had gotten to him. Since he had been back she had never even thought about the whole 'Caleb and Corny', for lack of a better word, thing. It wasn't exactly a 'relationship' as they were barely fourteen but it was definitely more than 'friends'. Cornelia used to describe it as 'a love written in the stars'. Will could never comprehend a connection like that; a passion that destiny itself played matchmaker for.

But, despite their 'close' relationship, Caleb had not spoken or asked about Cornelia once. Will was startled as she tried to think back to the day before and that morning trying to remember if he had ever even brought Cornelia up. Nothing.

He seemed to have forgotten all about her until that very second. "Cornelia…" he responded lightly barely moving his lips, making Will wonder if it was him who said it or just the wind tickling her imagination.

"She missed you, ya know," Will told him to try and ease the pain she imagined he felt, "she spoke nothing but of your return."

"She did?" he looked at Will, eyes larger than usual due to his trivial shock. His reaction confused Will. Of course she missed him; written in the stars, destiny entwined, yadda yadda. Cornelia _had_ to have missed him, the two were soul mates.

"Of course she missed you. You were all she ever talked about, even when you were here. I can't believe you would even question-" she paused, lost in thought. She often did so, stopping mid-sentence to allow herself time to think. Besides, there was nothing left she could say.

"We were young; children even," Caleb started after Will lapse, "Cornelia wanted a fairytale life and she saw me as her prince. It was immature, really. And anyway...she grew up, remember?"

Will tensed, sensing her earlier words being thrown back at her; luckily not in a rage this time. "Maybe she did," she replied, calmly for Will. "Since Hay Lin is so close, I think maybe we should walk." Caleb nodded.

They continued walking in silence, both their minds reeling and preparing for the task at hand. But silence was not what Caleb wanted then. He prayed for years to hear the guardians again and he refused to let his uneasiness get the better of him. "What about you?"

Will looked at him, confusion taking over her features. "What about me?"

"Why didn't you leave like the others? They moved on, and yet…you're still here."

"I don't know," she closed her eyes as if the answers were written on her eyelids "I ask myself that same question all the time. But I just couldn't leave."

After her words they continued walking, once again embracing silence, before Caleb spoke up. "You're a leader," was all he said.

She smiled and looked at him though he continued staring ahead. She straightened herself, arched her back, and held her head high. For one of the few times in her life she felt proud.

* * *

It was late in the evening by the time the duo got to Hay Lin's doorstep.

"You ready?" Caleb asked ready to give strength to Will. But instead of a response he got nothing. "Will?"

She froze in the middle of sidewalk, unable to move. She realized then how fearful she was of this task. She felt as though her feet had melted into the concrete.

"Will, are you okay?" he could tell she was scared but he was unsure of what exactly.

"Caleb…I can't do this," was all she could get out. All of the emotions during the last moments of the girls' friendship were resurfacing and Will couldn't handle. The disappointment and scrutiny she faced had almost sent her over the edge then and was threatening to do so again. She had chosen not to think about it when she promised Caleb to reunite the guardians and even while she was fulfilling the promise, but there was no escaping it now. She couldn't breathe; she was barely in touch with reality. All of this over fear of rejection. Maybe she was being too dramatic; these girls were once her greatest of friends. But now…they only saw her as the girl who still believed the game they played as children was real. This was what hindered her from making any real friends after the girls had split up. Everyone during school thought she was crazy; mocking her "super powers" and "destiny". At that moment she was so angry at herself; for not thinking about this until now, standing right in front of Hay Lin's home. All she could do now was plead. Plead with Caleb to not make her do this, to save her the humiliation. She was strong, but not strong enough to endure this pain again. She had to make him understand.

"Caleb…I can't take it. Not again. Not another rejection. I know I promised…but right now I just-"

Caleb, seeing the fear in her eyes, took her into his arms and embraced her. "It's okay Will. We have time," he said, trying his best to reassure her.

She let herself gain peace again in his arms before pulling away. "A promise is a promise. I may not be able to face them now, here…but I will. I need to see them somewhere that not only will quell my fears but convince them to join us."

"Then we'll just have to find that place."

* * *

A/N: Well it's...been awhile. Surprisingly, even througout my 'sebatacle' I've still been getting reviews and urges to continue. So, after New Year's I decided it was time. I had been waiting for inspiration and the new year brought it to me. This story is obviously still not finished, but certainly not forgotten. I will continue with updates, and hopefully this time they won't take 6 months.

I would like to thank everyone who continues to read and review...it is very much appreciated! I would love to get reviews on this chapter as well. Enjoy!

Drew


	5. Author's Note

So…now that six whole years have passed since I updated…what if I picked up this story again? My writing has improved exponentially and I have become somewhat interested in W.I.T.C.H. again – plus this story had such unexpected (and appreciated) acclaim even when my skills were hardly up to par.

I have considered revamping the chapters that are already posted and continuing with a more clear direction. In my years away I have finally learned the art of foreshadowing and plotting.

Anyway, would anyone be interested?


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